....but you have to have a valid licence from a previous version of Windows installed on that machine:

Originally Posted by Mary J Foley (in ZDNet Article)

I asked for confirmation to be doubly sure. The spokesperson said:

"Computerworld got it right. Assuming the customer had a previous version of Windows installed before Release Preview, they’ll be able to upgrade from the Release Preview. They won’t need to reinstall the previous version to do the upgrade; they can just upgrade on top of the Release Preview."

[My highlighting]

In other words, they are allowing upgrade from earlier Windows Licences not from a Windows 8 Release Preview installation on its own.

In other, other words, if you have installed Windows 8 Release Preview on a bare metal rig, you will not qualify for the upgrade price as no pre-existing licence will have been in use on that machine.

I read in another article that MS assumes that users of Win 8 RP had a previous qualifying OS installed before Win 8 RP was clean installed. Just like always, I am having a difficult finding the article again, damn! Using this terminology, a HD (or partition) that was formatted before Win 8 RP was installed should also qualify. Theoretically then an unscrupulous person could buy a new HD and use the Win 8 RP install, then the Win 8 Pro install. I do not advocate this because it probably does not follow the EULA. Since I am not a lawyer, I do not know for sure.

My plan is to replace my Win 7 install (after creating an Image of course) with Win 8 Pro. Then after I have everything set up properly I will delete Win 8 RP and resize the C Drive to reclaim this space.

I suppose there, indeed, are always the "unscrupulous". The idea is (1) that one had a Windows computer running when they fetched the RP & (2) that the RP is running on that machine virtually or as a dual-boot. Yes, Ted, I know that jibes w/ what we've been saying for months regarding using the Win8 betas properly/prudently. As an example, w/ dual-boot, the RP partition/drive could use the Win8 Upgrade & just keep the Win7 intact, @ least for a while.

Yes, I think that's the best approach Ted. At least you know you have a valid licence from which to upgrade and can revert via an image backup if it goes pear shaped. (Upgrade in this context will I believe be a pseudo clean install as I understand a format of the partition will occur during the install).

To be honest I think there are still more questions than answers in the "upgrade" process. For example, if one had an XP machine and right now performed a clean install of Win8 RP there are no traces of that XP install left on the disk, yet according to MS, it will still qualify for an upgrade. However, if it the Win8 RP install was made on a new hard drive that had not seen an OS previously in the same rig, then it will not qualify. I fear it may not become completely clear until retail release and there is the chance that some people might get their fingers burnt buying an upgrade but not being able to use it.

For me, the test rig that I've been using will run a dual boot clean install of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro from Technet (I need to run both standard and Pro versions in evaluation). In due course, I may upgrade a live machine here, but for some time to come, the test rig will remain in evaluation.

It will format the drive if, it is told not to keep anything.... in which case, would be, in effect, a clean install. Would not format if, keeping stuff, I wouldn't think.

After we beta tested Vista & Win7 we did cleans w/ the RTM. For, myself, again, I'd prefer not using Upgrade. However, upgrading w/ Win8 is vastly different & better than the upgrade process was w/ Vista or Win7.